Tamils in Sri Lanka have had more than their fair share of woes, hence some of them continue to seek asylum in other parts of the world. However, it is worth noting that, it is only a small proportion of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka who are subject to the miseries of Tamil Tiger war. The 30 year civil war ended in 2009, however there are claims of continuing enforced disappearance of young men, and other atrocities and grievances such as security forces occupying land belonging to Tamils. It is a fact that security of the island is maintained by the presence of a large contingent of security forces in the so-called Tamil homeland in the north and the east. This is quite legitimate. The presence of large number of security personnel within Tamil communities, and their surveillance operations against resurgence of Tamil insurrection is resulting adverse impacts to the Tamil communities. There are allegations of ongoing torture, rape and murder of Tamils. We condemn rape, torture, enforced disappearance or murder of Tamils suspected of subversive activities. We denounce rape, torture, and enforced disappearance as means of enforcement of law and order. We lobby for a step change in maintaining security, law and order. Suspects, detainees have to be dealt with humanely. The treatment of detainees atrociously and unlawfully has to be changed.

At the end of the war in 2009, thousands of civilian Tamil Tiger sympathisers as well as armed combatants who surrendered to the security forces were brutally decimated. This was an unlawful mistake or misdemeanour. However, the government forces were strained, inflamed, and merciless by the 30 years of seemingly invincible conflict, and Tamil Tiger atrocities against the rest of the country. At the time when the government forces were winning the war for good, the political leaders and military responsible for humane and lawful end to the conflict failed to change their stance to deal with the unarmed surrendered Tamil populations judiciously. The authorities in power failed to rise above barbaric instincts to a magnanimous conclusion. There was no one in Sri Lanka or in the outside world, in the right mind to direct the vanquish for that placid finale. The goal was to eliminate the threat of Tamil insurgency festering underground and re-emerging in the future. The means to that goal was a genocide, however comparable with the atrocities committed by the Tamil Tigers to the rest of the population. That was the past, and that’s that.

President Obama’s throne may have warmed up a little, and he glanced awkwardly. A blurred unfocused view. There was a pending IMF loan to Sri Lanka. Obama administration took a pensive swipe at it. Nothing changed, only gestures; war progressed, amidst allegations of atrocities aimed at both sides, to the gory end.

The political leaders should be accountable for the actions of the security forces they carry out in the name of the security of the nation. The unlawful adverse impacts of maintaining the security have to be mitigated and reconciled. We do not want the political leaders of Sri Lanka repeating after controversial puns quipped or Tweeted by other controversial leaders of the world. The political leaders of Sri Lanka should have their own magnanimous visions and human values in par with their culture, religion and history. The international community should use subtle diplomacy to persuade political leaders of Sri Lanka to hold accountable for human rights violations, and to implement step change.